Published: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 1:13 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 1:13 p.m.

There won't be any tennis played or swim laps completed at Woodland Villages in the next few days as engineers evaluate a sinkhole that sucked all the water out of the complex's iconic "lake" late Tuesday.

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Wes Herren, property manager for the Woodland Villages Association, said Wednesday that the insurer has ordered the area secured. He said engineers will evaluate the situation and hopefully advise in a day or so about the next step.

The body of water, often referred to as a lake by Woodland Villages residents and passers-by, is actually a retention pond. It was created in 1984 when the complex of estate homes, condominiums, town homes, manor homes and patio homes was built. Approximately 700 people live in the complex, which is at Southeast 17th Street and Southeast 25th Avenue. The pond has long been a focal point at the entrance, easily seen by anyone traveling along 17th Street.

Herren said that twice before, in 1996 and 2003, the water in the pond had diminished due to sinkholes, "but not this major."

In those prior instances, he said, the sinkholes were filled with "dirt and clay and fill rock, according to the standard of that time."

He said Wednesday it was not yet clear what repairs might be made this time.

Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Herren noticed that something seemed "different" with the pond, which has a fountain in the middle that sprays water into the air. He said his phone soon was "bombarded" with calls from residents and passers-by.

By 4:30 p.m., he said, the pond "was essentially gone."

"I just watched it going down and down," he said.

As the water was being sucked into the widening vortex, complex officials called engineers, contractors and the city of Ocala's Public Works Department, seeking advice on what to do to keep the pond from draining. Shortly before nightfall, all that remained were globs of mud, floundering fish, and a couple isolated shallow pools of water.

Herren estimated that the pond was roughly five acres in size. He said it had been roughly eight feet deep in places.

The sinkhole that sucked in the water is situated more to the clubhouse side of the property and measured about 15 feet across at the surface late Tuesday. Because of the location, the clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis court area are closed for safety purposes.

Constance Quigley, who has lived at Woodland Villages for five years, said Wednesday she has noticed a change in the water levels off and on since March, but thought perhaps it was related to the summer heat. More recently, she said, the water level has gone down "quite a bit."

Quigley said that around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday the fountain in the pond, which normally spews water about 20 feet in the air, was only pushing about a foot of water upwards. She said that by 4 p.m. the water had gone below some rocks around the rim of the pond and that by 7, there were only a few patches of water to be seen.

Quigley estimated Wednesday that the surface area of the sinkhole had grown to roughly 25 feet.

"You see the water churning in there," she said, pointing toward the hole as several birds pecked at dead fish in the mud or flew above what used to be the complex's pride and joy.

<p>There won't be any tennis played or swim laps completed at Woodland Villages in the next few days as engineers evaluate a sinkhole that sucked all the water out of the complex's iconic "lake" late Tuesday.</p><p>Wes Herren, property manager for the Woodland Villages Association, said Wednesday that the insurer has ordered the area secured. He said engineers will evaluate the situation and hopefully advise in a day or so about the next step.</p><hr />
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<hr /><p>The body of water, often referred to as a lake by Woodland Villages residents and passers-by, is actually a retention pond. It was created in 1984 when the complex of estate homes, condominiums, town homes, manor homes and patio homes was built. Approximately 700 people live in the complex, which is at Southeast 17th Street and Southeast 25th Avenue. The pond has long been a focal point at the entrance, easily seen by anyone traveling along 17th Street.</p><p>Herren said that twice before, in 1996 and 2003, the water in the pond had diminished due to sinkholes, "but not this major."</p><p>In those prior instances, he said, the sinkholes were filled with "dirt and clay and fill rock, according to the standard of that time."</p><p>He said Wednesday it was not yet clear what repairs might be made this time.</p><p>Around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Herren noticed that something seemed "different" with the pond, which has a fountain in the middle that sprays water into the air. He said his phone soon was "bombarded" with calls from residents and passers-by.</p><p>By 4:30 p.m., he said, the pond "was essentially gone."</p><p>"I just watched it going down and down," he said.</p><p>As the water was being sucked into the widening vortex, complex officials called engineers, contractors and the city of Ocala's Public Works Department, seeking advice on what to do to keep the pond from draining. Shortly before nightfall, all that remained were globs of mud, floundering fish, and a couple isolated shallow pools of water.</p><p>Herren estimated that the pond was roughly five acres in size. He said it had been roughly eight feet deep in places.</p><p>The sinkhole that sucked in the water is situated more to the clubhouse side of the property and measured about 15 feet across at the surface late Tuesday. Because of the location, the clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis court area are closed for safety purposes.</p><p>Constance Quigley, who has lived at Woodland Villages for five years, said Wednesday she has noticed a change in the water levels off and on since March, but thought perhaps it was related to the summer heat. More recently, she said, the water level has gone down "quite a bit."</p><p>Quigley said that around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday the fountain in the pond, which normally spews water about 20 feet in the air, was only pushing about a foot of water upwards. She said that by 4 p.m. the water had gone below some rocks around the rim of the pond and that by 7, there were only a few patches of water to be seen.</p><p>Quigley estimated Wednesday that the surface area of the sinkhole had grown to roughly 25 feet.</p><p>"You see the water churning in there," she said, pointing toward the hole as several birds pecked at dead fish in the mud or flew above what used to be the complex's pride and joy.</p><p>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</p>